1154/55: Following the death of Abbot Martin de Bec, 'all the congregation met to choose a man among them who should be their father and shepherd, and guardian lest by reason of their delay some stranger should make his way in by payment of bribes'. They chose William de Waterville. All formalities and procedures were followed and on this first Sunday of Lent, 'with a great procession he was welcomed into his own home of Burch (the name of Peterborough at that time)'. (Mellows, W.T.,The Peterborough Chronicle of Hugh Candidus, Peterborough Museum Society, 1980)
Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press,2014.
In 1977 Thomas Cook, the travel agent opened its administrative headquarters at Thorpe Wood in Peterborough. This was part of the move from engineering and the brick industry being the major employers in Peterborough to the service industry being the major employer.
The company has been based at the Lynch Wood Business Park since 2016.
The world's oldest travel operator Thomas Cook, collapsed with the loss of more than 21,000 jobs worldwide including 1,000 in Peterborough. Thomas Cook had been trading for 178 years, but was put into compulsory liquidation on 23/09/19, after talks to save the company failed. Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook's chief executive, said the firm's collapse was a "matter of profound regret".
The company’s collapse and the subsequent cancellation of flights led to the Government and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launching the biggest peacetime repatriation, code-named Operation Matterhorn, aimed at bringing more than 150,000 British holidaymakers home.
References:
The Peterborough Telegraph 23/09/19
BBC News 23/09/19
In 1977 Thomas Cook, the travel agent opened its administrative headquar…
The world's oldest travel operator Thomas Cook, collapsed with the loss…